Marionettes
by cyan thou
Summary: A dark and realistic re-imagining of the Dark Kingdom arc that explores the inner shortcomings, struggles and small victories of the inner senshi as they attempt to meet the exigent responsibilities suddenly placed upon them while they simultaneously grapple with the challenges of their own personal lives. What personal sacrifices will have to be made to avoid a global catastrophe?


**Author's Notes: **

Warning - This work of fiction contains strong language and mature situations.

_Marionettes_ represents many years of hard work of planning and (re)writing. I'm finally content enough with the novel to share it with others, knowing that fans of the anime and manga will pick up on the references and, hopefully, appreciate the deviations which will present a 'fresh take' on the classic story while maintaining true to the spirit of the original works by Naoko Takeuchi.

Comments / reviews are _greatly_ appreciated.

Enjoy.

**MARIONETTES**

**Volume I**

_**Disingenuous**_

**- Prologue -**

**The Perfect Host**

The Pacific Ocean waters on the south of Japan, having long had notoriety for unpredictable weather among seafarers, were living up to their egregious reputation on this particular June evening. Rough waves had suddenly abated and a calm, glass-like finish spread over the water while the night air turned chillingly cool and moist - a stark contrast from the scorching heat of the day during this already remarkably hot, nascent summer. The rapid change in weather invited a dense fog which quickly descended over the waters surrounding Izu Oshima, the largest island of an archipelago of volcanic islands southwest of Tokyo, Japan.

Somewhere amidst the heavy haze, a posh, classic yacht was making its way back from a trip around the Izu Islands closest to Honshu. Despite the incredibly low visibility, the yacht pressed forth toward a private marina in Tokyo Bay. The ship's deck was empty on account of the nippy night's air. From the outside, a lone woman and the captain on the bridge were the only signs of life aboard the yacht.

"The fog sure has gotten thick," commented the woman, her wavy blonde hair done up in a ponytail, showcasing her elegant earrings. "Can you even find the dock like this?" she asked, leaning up against the window, her emerald eyes squinting to scarcely make out anything beyond the tip of the yacht. The hazy, grey myopia created an unsettling feeling in her stomach to accompany the sea sickness from before.

"Hmph! You act as though this is my first time doing this. Have some confidence, will you?" the captain, a tall, well-built and relatively handsome man not beyond his thirties, replied smugly. His shoulder-length, bleached-white hair seemed strange at first to his female companion, who was initially taken aback by it. However, it seemed less bizarre with every sip from her wine glass as the evening progressed. Indeed, through conversation she had found him to be a rather kind man in spirit and gesture. He had been generous enough to loan her his navy blue captain's jacket, which she currently had draped around her shoulders to keep warm. She turned to the captain, watching as his eyes scanned the multiple panels and gauges before him without missing a beat.

"Sorry. It's just that I can't wait for this night to be over," she replied.

"Well, I'm sorry this outing wasn't much of a success for you, Zoe," the captain consoled her, reflecting on her circumstances aboard the vessel. Indeed, the entire evening had been a bust for the wealthy entrepreneur; she had intended on signing a lucrative contract with the foreign multimillionaire whose yacht she currently found herself in, only to be tossed aside while he relished in the company of another woman. In response, Zoe had tried to gain the attention of the chef - a very handsome and well-built Swede with short, curly, golden locks of hair and crystal clear blue eyes - but much to her dismay, he was not keen on keeping company and had shooed her away from his kitchen. Were it not for that dismissal, she would not have had to resort to the yacht's bridge to find company, as they were still not close enough to the mainland and her devices had no internet connection for her to whittle away the time. She had been left with nothing else to do but chat up the captain in order to pass the time until they docked at the multimillionaire's private marina.

"Hmph. That's an understatement," she underscored his remark, swirling around the remaining white wine in her glass before downing it in one, unlady-like gulp. "I thought we'd be going over the details of our joint business venture but it turns out Maxfield is more interested in getting to know his floozy than discussing finance," she stated bitterly.

"You act as though you were surprised," the captain chuckled. "Or, didn't you know that he's got a reputation for fancying the ladies?"

"Hey!" she objected at his insinuation of cluelessness. It was quite the contrary, actually - she thought that perhaps she could manipulate Maxfield's weakness to her advantage in striking a deal. After all, although she was in her early thirties, she was by no means unattractive. "I knew that already," Zoe reluctantly admitted in a hushed tone, keeping quiet about her failed underhandedness.

"So what's the problem then?"

"Nothing," she replied laconically, shifting her eyes.

"Oh, that answer won't work on me! That might've fooled me fifteen years ago but I know better now. Cost me my marriage, it did, but I know better," the captain resounded with a hearty laugh. "Let me guess - you're upset that he didn't make a pass at you?"

"Pfft," Zoe scoffed, eyeing her empty wine glass with disappointment.

"So he did make a pass at you," he deduced with great delight. "Well, then, in that case," he pondered bemusingly, "you either said or did something stupid, completely ruining the moment - barring any reoccurrence of such a moment."

Zoe rolled her eyes at the very suggestion - she had class. "Yeah, right," she scoffed, looking down at her empty glass once again, pining for more of its delightful buzz. God, I really need to get out of here and get some more of that Zinfandel. Zoe regretted not having brought up another bottle with her from the wine cellar. If only she had not been so flustered by the chef's rejection of her charm, she would have remembered to bring up more to the bridge.

"Alright, throw me a bone then."

"Yeah, I probably should before you embarrass yourself even further," she snickered.

"No, wait - I've got it!" he cried with excitement, momentarily releasing his grip on the helm.

"Oh?"

"You're jealous!" the captain exclaimed, turning to face Zoe, who remained visibly tight-lipped at the suggestion. That brief split-second hesitation was the only confirmation he needed. "Ha ha! Am I good or what?" he asked rhetorically, turning his attention back to the myriad of display panels in front of him.

Zoe hated being so easy to read. Her emotions often got the best of her and it was impossible for her to hide them. After some mulling, she decided there was no use in further denial and confessed what was on her mind. "It's not so much that he passed me up - it's who he's passing me up for."

"Oh?" the captain seemed puzzled. "What's wrong with Ms. Osaka?" he asked curiously.

"That she's at least ten years older than me, that's what. Getting passed up for a nineteen-year-old Brazilian swimsuit model with big tits? Fine. I can live with that," she declared emphatically with emotion, acknowledging that her looks and body, although still alluring, were not what they once had been. Despite her immense wealth, lavish clothes and jewellery, she could not compete with the firmness and tightness of a young, exotic beauty. "But that woman is... what? Forty!? She already has a kid for God's sake!"

"Lord's name, Zoe," the captain admonished.

"Oh, whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Didn't take you for the religious type, Malachi."

The captain just smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Well, I figure that maybe he finally got bored of those aspiring gold diggers," he suggested. "All those young girls are after only one thing - his money. He's had enough of them to realize that that's all they want from him. Sounds silly, but there's only so much a man take of that. This one's different - she's not after his money."

"Oh?" Zoe raised an eyebrow. "And exactly what does she do, may I ask?"

"Sells fine jewellery, I believe."

"Oh, please. I've never heard of her until today," Zoe scoffed. "I bet I can buy her entire inventory multiple times over. Hell, this Harry Winston set alone is probably worth more than her inventory," she boasted, gently caressing the tear drop necklace that danced just below her collarbone.

"A tad bitter, hmm?"

Zoe thought about the captain's comment. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she was coming across as petty and vindictive. Her frustration had been quick to surface and the five glasses of wine she had already consumed were not making it any easier to keep it in check. "I'm sorry, Malachi. I don't mean to sour your evening too. I'm sure I'm coming across as a complete venomous bitch."

"Ha! That's nothing," he dismissed her assertion. "My ex-wife, now, that was one venomous woman!" he laughed heartily once more. "Don't know what I saw in that one!" Zoe enjoyed his attempt at levity. She realized he was quite a charming man. Perhaps a odd for her usual tastes, but his demeanor had made this evening much more bearable. Nevertheless, she still felt the need to glance at her diamond-encrusted Chopard watch. The captain sensed this and without even glancing at his companion, spoke out. "We still have a while to go," he said. Without taking his eyes off the display panels, he lifted a radio transmitter next to him and spoke into it. "Jed, let Mr. Stanton know we'll be arriving in approximately another two hours. He'll be wanting his dinner before we reach land."

"Dinner's ready now. I'll bring it up to you and our guest after I deliver it to Maxfield," replied the chef's voice, all cackled and distorted by static. Zoe had initially caught a glimpse of the chef, Jed, when she had boarded the yacht and was immediately taken in by his dreamy good looks. Still feeling quite jilted by her unsuccessful attempt to entice him earlier this evening, she figured this would be her ideal, if not final, opportunity to seduce the Swede.

"You know what? I think I'll head down to get some more wine. I don't think I'll be eating much." Zoe sat up, removed the captain's jacket from around her bare shoulders and smoothed out the wrinkles on her beige and black Alexander Wang cocktail dress. "What vintage do you prefer?" she asked hastily.

"No thanks, I gave up that stuff years ago," Malachi declined. It was the answer she had hoped for - she had no intention of returning without first having made her conquest. The last thing she needed was a time limit. Zoe exchanged her empty wine glass for her black Lana Marks clutch and exited the bridge hastily, realizing too late that her plan to 'accidentally' bump into Jed along the way might have been too transparent to fool Malachi. It was an embarrassingly immature oversight but it was impossible to do anything about it now. At this point she only cared about obtaining her man, lest she should spend another two hours fumbling from one topic of conversation to another with the captain. Zoe hiked her dress up her thigh by about two inches and readjusted the the top to expose more of her chest. That should be enough to convince the aloof Swede to reconsider his position. Zoe anticipated his route and rushed across the fog-laden deck to stop just shy of the narrow stairs Jed would have ascend to reach Maxfield's quarters. Out of view and backed up against the wall, she withdrew her crimson lipstick and pocket mirror for a quick touch up as she waited for the sounds of approaching footsteps. To her panic, they appeared almost immediately, causing her to hurriedly cram her belongings back into her clutch. Zoe recollected herself as quickly as her tipsy mind would allow her and turned the corner, putting on a sultry, debonair performance as she walked down the first few steps, acting surprised at Jed's presence.

"Oh, my! You startled me!" she gasped, placing her delicate hand on her chest as though to calm a racing heart.

"Sorry," Jed replied tersely as he proceeded up the narrow stairs with a covered food tray in hand. He did not even glance at Zoe. Much to her dismay, he continued his ascent without even as much as a quick glance at her legs - their natural, curvy slenderness accentuated by her black Christian Loubouton pumps. It was the third time Zoe had been ignored completely this day, which was altogether unacceptable to her. Zoe was not about to let Jed just slip past her this time. "Not so fast there," she extended her arm across the narrow stairs, blocking the chef's way.

"Do you need something?" he asked, direct and to the point.

"Some company would be nice," Zoe flirtatiously ran her free hand through her tan blonde hair. The chef just looked at her and it became clear to her that she would need to be more direct. It was time to reel in her catch and she determinedly reached out for the chef's collar to draw him close. Instead of securing her man, however, she lost balance and tumbled down the stairs, taking Jed down with her. It was the clumsiest move she had ever made advancing on someone and with every aching bump against the hard and unforgiving mahogany steps, she cursed her wanton consumption of wine throughout the evening. Eventually, their two tangled bodies came to a sudden and painful stop on the lower deck along with the loud din silverware, and the clamour of broken plates and glasses. I really should have stopped at three glasses, Zoe bemoaned herself, her mortifying embarrassment intensifying her pain. She sorely raised herself up a few centimetres, quickly realizing she had landed squarely on top of Jed. The Swede opened his eyes slowly, Zoe's ponytail gently brushing against his face.

"Hi," she smiled coyly, hoping to play it cool rather than own up to the klutziness which had ruined the chef's hard work.

"Get off me," Jed ordered dispassionately.

"What? No sense of romance?" she asked, placing her hand on his chest. Without words, Jed hastily tossed Zoe aside and got up. "'No' would have sufficed, you know," she berated his lack of tact.

"Could you possibly be anymore ignorant?" he retorted. "We just struck something." Jed's words took a moment to sink in, Zoe's daze, now a mix of alcohol and bruises from her tumble, slowing down her reaction time. 'Struck something'? It seemed implausible but even she knew she was beyond tipsy and should not make any claim to the contrary. Had she not been so focused on seducing Jed, she would have not tuned out the dull rumble of the yacht's wooden hull gnashing into something only moments prior. Suddenly, the fear of a capsizing yacht and having to abandon ship - into the dark, temperamental waters of the Pacific Ocean - overwhelmed Zoe's thoughts.

"We struck rocks?" Zoe asked, trying to keep her fright in check and attempting to remove the image of a sinking ship from her mind.

"No. Malachi's too good for that. He knows these waters," Jed replied as he rushed past Zoe and headed up the stairs without as much as even offering to help her up, leaving her surrounded by the spoiled dinner.

"Another boat, then?" she cried after him. Whether he had heard or not, he did not bother to respond before slipping out of view in the fog. "Seems chivalry is dead," Zoe muttered to herself as she readjusted her top, thankful that she had not popped out of her dress. She hurriedly brushed off pieces of the dinner - pan fried salmon and asparagus - from her dress and arms, picked up her clutch and pumps - the latter which had flown off her feet during her tumble - and proceeded back to the bridge with great anxiety over Jed's announcement.

Her pumps in hand, Zoe could hear voices on the bridge even before she could see it.

"Just what the hell did we just hit?" Maxfield demanded authoritatively. The handsome multimillionaire, still in his late twenties, had been quick to show up on the bridge to assess the situation. His long, wavy, brown hair danced about with every motion of his head as he rapidly scanned the display panels. Zoe, who stood at the door to the bridge as she watched the three men analyze the situation, had expected Maxfield to rip into the captain for damaging the luxury vessel, but to her surprise, the multimillionaire did not seem interested in placing blame. Like Jed, he appeared to have the utmost respect for Malachi's abilities as a navigator.

"There was nothing on the sonar," Malachi stated. "We're too far out to have struck rocks."

"How's the hull?"

"Not sure. We weren't going going fast enough to breach it, though."

"I'll get the flashlight," Jed offered, heading to the equipment chest at rear o f the bridge. "We need to be sure."

"Is everything okay?" Zoe was surprised to not have noticed Mayumi Osaka, the very bane of her evening, walk up beside her. She wore a plain, but elegant, sleeveless burgundy cocktail dress. Her hair was ornately done up, exposing lustrous and expensive tear drop earrings while a matching necklace adorned her chest. Zoe did not respond to Mayumi's question out of spite, although she had nothing to contribute regardless.

Equipped with a large, high-power flashlight hanging to his side from a strap crossing his upper body, Jed walked past the two women, yet again ignoring Zoe's presence altogether, and the two other men followed in similar fashion. The three men walked toward the bow of the ship and became nothing but mere silhouettes in the fog to the two women who remained where they stood. The men were leaning over the starboard side of the bow to examine the concave hull, which proved difficult in the current weather. Maxfield and Malachi held onto Jed as he teetered over the edge for a closer look. Zoe and Mayumi, not wanting to intervene or become a nuisance, watched from a distance, hoping for good news.

"What do you see?" Malachi cried out.

Jed shone the bright light onto the water below, its brightness refracting on the water's surface. "Hull seems okay. Definitely don't see any rocks," he shouted back to the deck.

"Did we snag seaweed then?" Maxfield turned to Malachi, looking for an answer. The captain mulled over the possibility of that scenario but before he had a chance to respond, Jed's voice called out again from the starboard side of the yacht.

"Oh, shit!" Those two words were enough to send Zoe's fears of a sinking boat creeping beyond her mind and sending an uneasy, tingling sensation to her limbs. The shadowy depths of the ocean terrified her. Not knowing what could be down there was an unpleasant thought, however irrational.

"What is it?"

There was a part of Zoe that did not want to hear the response to that question.

"You're not going to like this, boss - we're leaking something. We definitely punctured the hull."

"Fuck!" Maxfield kicked the railing with frustration, almost letting go of Jed. The sudden vibration from the rattling railing startled the chef, causing him to immediately grab on to it for security as he hoisted himself back up to the deck once again.

"Well, this going to be a problem," Malachi muttered to himself. "You're certain?" he asked, demanding absolute assurance in Jed's diagnosis. The Swede simply nodded in response.

"Should I send out an SOS?" Malachi asked in dismay. Maxfield circled the deck in frustration, mulling over Malachi's question. Despite being wealthy enough to buy ten new luxury yachts, he did not look forward to conducting repairs that would lessen the value of this one-of-a-kind, antique yacht. Of course, that was in the best case scenario - the ship could likely sink before they even got to land if the hull breach was wide enough.

"It's foggy as hell, we're four metres up from the water and it's fucking pitch black," Maxfield undermined Jed's conclusion.

"I can't tell where it's coming from but it's visible just below the water," Jed defended his diagnosis.

"No, that can't be," Malachi protested, "such a leak would require a far more forceful collision, particularly on the sides of the yacht, not the front."

Jed, confident in his position, removed the shoulder strap from around his neck and handed over the flashlight. "See for yourself, then." Malachi, not one to back down easily, accepted the challenge.

"Here," Maxfield offered him support with an outstretched arm.

"I ain't lost my sea legs yet," Malachi declined as he stepped over the railing on his own to make a closer inspection over the starboard side of the yacht.

"Oh, I sure hope he says we're okay. I really don't want to have to abandon ship," Mayumi shared her thoughts with Zoe as they watched the men attend to the situation. Zoe, despite having similar anxieties, remained tight-lipped. Mayumi was worried about her daughter, whom she knew would be expecting her home tonight. She did not want to worry her by not being home on time - much less for her to receive the news that her mother had gone missing at sea.

They all remained silent as Malachi surveyed the water below. Time seemed to drag on as everyone's collective anxiety tensed up on the deck of the yacht.

"Unfortunately, it appears that the kid is right," Malachi reluctantly announced after much deliberation. Indeed, an opaque, black liquid was clouding the water around the vessel.

"We'll need to put out an SOS and setup the life raft then," Jed said with regret, shaking his head with dismay.

Malachi shifted his weight to get up with a grunt.

"C'mon, old man," the young millionaire taunted, extending out his hand once again.

"You'll be thirty-six soon enough," he scoffed, ignoring Maxfield's offer of assistance. "It's really not so bad," he declared, raising his leg to climb over the chrome rail. Before anyone had time to react, however, Malachi lost his balance and fell overboard, breaking the surface of the water with a loud splash. Maxfield doubled over in laughter, heartily enjoying the captain's unfortunate misstep.

Zoe dashed to tip of the vessel, worried that the captain had been hurt during the fall. She did not want her inebriation undermine her assertiveness and quickly clasped the chrome rail to counteract her lack of balance before speaking. "Stop being such a pompous douchebag and help him!" she criticized her would-be host. Maxfield became aware of Zoe's presence for the first time for quite sometime, having forgotten about her much earlier in the evening. He gave her a look of disapproval - he did not take orders, much less from a guest on his yacht - and turned back to Malachi who was treading the black water.

"Guess you should have taken my hand after all, huh?" he shouted at the captain, still rejoicing Malachi's accident.

"Quit clowning around and toss me the ladder before my limbs freeze off!" he retorted. "In case you forgot, you're on a sinking vessel - we have plenty to do before the ship goes under!" Malachi reminded them.

Maxfield motioned with his head and Jed immediately reached for the nylon rope ladder and tossed it over the railing to the captain below. The captain began to swim toward the ladder but suddenly disappeared underwater. Only the flashlight remained, floating atop the water and aimed at ship's white hull.

"What's happening?" Zoe cried out, panicking over his disappearance into the dark water.

"The water's probably too cold. His body must've gone into shock," Jed declared.

"That quick? The water shouldn't be that cold," Maxfield expressed doubt.

"Doesn't matter. I'm going for him," Jed stated without missing a beat as he hastily hopped over the rail and dove into the cold water below to retrieve his captain. Maxfield was not yet concerned, confident that the captain was safe - perhaps playing out a joke of his own. However, the two women anxiously watched as Jed swam toward Malachi's last position. Once there, he too disappeared under the dark, motionless water, in an attempt to find the captain. The yellow flashlight remained buoyant on the surface, eerily lighting the surrounding water in a dull green-grey haze as the fog danced just above its surface. Mayumi and Zoe waited with bated breath, every second that passed further intensifying their feelings of despair.

Jed dove and resurfaced numerous times, "I don't see him anywhere!" he cried with worry, after what seemed like minutes of frantic searching. He had initially been confident that he could immediately spot Malachi. Now, even he had his doubts. The water was indeed cold, dark and the fog only further complicated the search.

"Keep looking!" Zoe shot back, desperately worried about her kind companion. Jed dove back under, this time with the flashlight in tow. It had been the only remark from Zoe he had acknowledged all evening, though her words mattered little, if at all, to the Swede who seemed loyal enough to stay in the cold water all night if that's what it took to find his captain - even if there was no yacht to return to by that point. Neither of the women, who were completely unaccustomed to life at sea, could shake the dreadful feeling that as the search for Malachi continued, the ship continued to slowly submerge. It was a slow asphyxiation that began to overwhelm them - an impending doom that relished in drawing out time and fear as it approached.

"There!" Mayumi shouted unexpectedly, startling everyone on the deck. Somehow, through the fog, she had spotted the captain, floating motionlessly along the stern of the vessel. Within moments, Jed secured him within his grasp and returned to the nylon ladder dangling along the yacht's side. He carefully ascended the steps with Malachi slumped over his left shoulder in a fireman's carry, water dripping from their clothes and rippling the otherwise smooth surface of the water. Zoe was stooped over the chrome rail and watched anxiously as Maxfield extended his arms to hoist the unconscious captain onto the deck. She followed the light projecting from the flashlight, which hung at a downward angle from Jed. It struck the water head-on, illuminating the swirls of the unidentified black liquid which seemingly moved on their own in the wake of Jed's movement through the water. It was entirely unsettling to her. She immediately stepped back from the ship's edge, the buzz from the wine evidently only intensifying her anxiety over the unknown.

Maxfield helped Jed ease Malachi gently onto the deck and removed his own light blue blazer to cover the captain and provide some extra warmth. Zoe knelt next to the captain alongside Jed, elated to have him on board once again. Soon enough, Malachi rolled over slowly and began to cough up water. The sign of life was a great relief to everyone, but Zoe especially, who had grown more attached to the man than she had realized.

"He'll be alright?"

"Yeah. Nothing to worry about," Jed replied, removing the flashlight's strap from around his shoulders and setting it down on the deck.

Zoe was glad the Swede finally acknowledged her and answered her question. She was willing to overlook being ignored by him throughout the entire night for answering this question alone.

"Good," she smiled. "I'm glad. Thank you for rescuing him," she placed her hand on his, which was wet and stained with the black liquid leaking from the yacht, much like the rest of him. "That was really brave of you," she complimented him, noticing that his wet shirt clung to his body, highlighting his muscular physique. Zoe glanced upon his face, dripping wet, his golden hair sullied by the black liquid, yet his cool blue eyes were enough to remove her from the chaos of their current predicament. So what if she had embarrassingly tumbled onto him earlier? She was sure he would not turn her down this time. It would be a shame if his heroism were to go unrewarded. After all, every good deed deserves a reward. "What do you say I show you how appreciative I am when we get back to shore?" He paused, deliberating her proposal. Zoe was hopeful, at last seemingly having pushed past his aloofness and eliciting responses from the Swede.

"No thanks," he replied, deflating her ego yet again.

Utterly dejected - she had lost count of how many times it had been so far this evening - she got up, unable to face further embarrassment. She would let him tend to Malachi as he continued to cough. Turning around, she picked up the sound of Mayumi's voice. She was still at the starboard bow of the yacht, alongside Maxfield. Could they really be so unconcerned about Malachi as to remain there, overlooking the water?

"No, I didn't see anything," Zoe could hear Mayumi respond, her arms crossed to keep the little warmth she had. Her cocktail dress, much like Zoe's, was less than ideal for this kind of weather and the two of them had goosebumps all along their arms. "Why? What's the matter? You saw something?" However, the millionaire did not respond. He remained quiet and unresponsive. Mayumi looked in the direction of his stare and she, too, became transfixed.

"W-what's so interesting?" Zoe asked, trying not to sound alarmed. Neither of them answered, however, leaving her no choice but to once again peer over the edge reluctantly. As she did, she became aware of a dim white noise that slowly increased in intensity. The disturbing sound, one like hum of high-voltage electrical lines, was suddenly emanating on all sides of yacht.

"What the hell is that noise?" Jed asked out loud, coming to join the others at the yacht's side.

Mayumi pointed in response, not saying a word. Through the fog, something appeared to be rising out of the water, seemingly standing on it. Zoe closed her eyes, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. Instead of disappearing, the dark mass arising from water only crept closer to the yacht, until it reached the hull, whereupon it began to slowly traverse upward along the hull. From their vantage point, it appeared as though it were the shape of a person from the torso up. Without legs, it slowly crept vertically, unhindered by the vessel's concave exterior.

Finally, Zoe spoke, needing confirmation that she was not seeing things on account of her gluttonous alcohol intake. "You all see that too, right?"

"What is it?"

"I'll get the flashlight," Jed stated, obviously wanting a closer look at the oddity.

"No, put out the SOS," Maxfield quickly objected, not sharing in Jed's sense of inspection. Something was amiss and he did not wish to examine whatever it was. The need to abandon ship was clear, even if he was not sure what they should do thereafter.

Jed nodded in response, turning around to head to the bridge to put out the distress call. He was caught by surprised by Malachi's outstretched hands as he charged into him forcefully, clasping on his neck and taking them both overboard. The two men went overboard once more, knocking Zoe hard enough in the process to flip her over the rail. The whole world seemed to spin around her and she came to an abrupt and painful stop against the side of the yacht. Somehow she had managed to keep her hands clasped on to the rail and avoid plunging into the water.

"What the hell are you doing, Malachi!?" Maxfield cried in anger. The men crashed violently into the water, unaffected by his cry.

Not wanting to watch idly for the result of their struggle, Mayumi tugged at her lover's canary yellow dress shirt. "Put out that SOS, please!" Mayumi begged.

"No!" Zoe cried out, the fright in her voice apparent. "Help me up!" She did not have the strength to pull herself up and her own weakness made her incredibly scared. Something was definitely in the water; years of irrational fear suddenly made manifest in this surreal moment.

"I've got you, hun, don't worry," Mayumi reached down to Zoe, grasping onto her forearms. "Please, get that SOS out while I help her!" she cried as she clasped tight and tried with all her might to bring Zoe back up to the deck. Below, the two could hear the captain and the chef thrashing about in the water. Zoe did not want to look down, knowing that some ... thing was making its way up the side of the ship. She had closed her eyes as hard as she could, imagining away the pandemonium. Much to Mayumi's dismay, Zoe, paralyzed by the chaos, was a dead weight. There was nothing she could do to bring her back on deck.

"I can't get you up!" Mayumi spoke with great effort through her clenched teeth.

"Don't let me go!" Zoe pleaded, her grip slipping. She desperately latched on to Mayumi. Her 'rival' now her only lifeline. Zoe replayed things in her mind and could not understand how the evening had deteriorated from being rejected by men to hanging off of the side of a yacht, crippled by the most intense fear she had ever felt. A cool sensation shot up her leg and she was forced to open her eyes. The black mass, a veritable living shadow, had outstretched its arm and had a firm grip on Zoe's leg. It was then that she realized Malachi had not succumbed to shock, but had been pulled underwater. Something in him had changed after that encounter. Zoe feared something that the black mass latched onto her had a similar fate in store for her.

"Oh, god! It's pulling me down!" she panicked.

Zoe knew she could not hold herself up, even with the help of Mayumi. Bit by bit, her fingers lost grip, Mayumi having to lean further and further over the rail just to maintain her own grip on the frightened blonde.

"I can't ..."

"No, please ... Please!"

"I'm ... so sorry," Mayumi apologized as she let go, knowing she two would fall overboard if she leaned over any further.

Zoe frantically reached out to whatever she could grab but her flailing arms caught nothing. She crashed harshly into the water flat on her back, seemingly landing on pavement, which immediately gave away, swallowing her up in a cold darkness. The murmuring sound of water dulling her senses and disorienting her as her anxiety reached its zenith. She was sure she would die out here tonight, were it not for the unseen hands of living shadows that now grasped at her, pulling her arms and legs while her underwater screams did nothing but fill her lungs with water. Given Malachi's sudden change in character, it seemed these faceless entities would have another fate for her in mind. Perhaps drowning before that could happen would not be such a thing...

Mayumi watched from the deck as Zoe vanished beneath the white bubbles that appeared as her companion thrashed about under the surface of the dark water. She felt awful and inadequate, having been too weak to prevent a third person from going overboard. Only Maxfield and herself remained onboard the yacht and they would need to evacuate immediately, whether the ship was indeed sinking or not. There was now a more present matter of survival.

Mayumi turned to find Maxfield, hoping he had put out the SOS. Across the foggy deck she saw him, confronted by another shadow, which blocked his path to the bridge. From it, too, emanated the disconcerting noise that befouled the air.

"Be careful, Max!" Mayumi cried out to him - he had not seen what had become of Zoe, so he was ignorant of what these shadows could do. The two were at a stand off. Like the first shadow which crawled vertically along the hull, it moved slowly but Mayumi had sensed how strong it was able to pull on Zoe. Maxfield chose to strike it with his fist, which connected but seemed to have no noticeable impact on the being. The shadow charged into Maxfield, tackling him into the ground, where it disappeared into him as it pushed itself into Maxfield's chest. He resisted at first, attempting to pull it out from within himself, but evidently, the pain caused by this invasion numbed his ability to fight back. Within moments it had fully disappeared into Maxfield, who remained motionless on the deck, sprawled on his back.

Paralyzed by horror, Mayumi just watched as yet another shadow began to climb the edge of the yacht. This one seemed faster than the others, not giving Mayumi time to deliberate a reaction. All she knew is that moments later she was running. Her body had reacted without any consultation from her consciousness. She was simply running frantically and out of sheer fear that made her legs weak.

She raced to Maxfield's chambers, slamming the door behind her and locking the door. Her legs had taken her as far as they could and she collapsed on the floor - the adrenaline that had gotten her to this room wore off. Her chest heaved heavily and her hands quivered uncontrollably. She was the last target and those shadows - there were hundreds for all she knew - and they were coming for her, now that everyone else on board had been disposed of.

Her only thought at this moment was to get a word to her daughter. As best she could, she reached into her black Marc Jacobs purse - itself a gift from Maxfield - to take out her phone. Her unsteady hands caused her to fumble several times. In frustration, Mayumi turned over the bag, littering its contents on the floor of the dimly lit room. Her phone in hand, she cursed the lack of reception. She would not be able to make the call to her daughter but perhaps she could send a text message. If the boat ever got close to mainland, it would send automatically. She began to type when the noise of the shadows sudden appeared. Mayumi dropped the phone in fright.

She struggled to move furniture behind the door to block their entry. However, everything was fixed onto either the floor or the ceiling. Desperate, she charged at the door with the only chair in the room, to try jam it under the door handle. She picked up her phone from the amidst the mascara and lipstick tubes on the floor and stood with her back against the wall opposite the door, knowing there was nothing else she could do. She was trapped. Cornered. It was, after all, a boat.

The door rumbled as whatever was on the other side tried to make its way into the room. Mayumi tried to steady her trembling hands to compose a message to her daughter. But what would she even say? She was not even sure of what was happening. Suddenly, the lights went out. The room was completely dark, save for whatever the dim light from Mayumi's phone illuminated. She was compelled to hold the screen away from her, shining it on the room, but the ghastly appearance of the room only frightened her further. Items overturned, partially lit from an odd angle created strange and abnormal shapes.

She turned the screen back to her and focused on sending a text that would inform but not frighten her daughter. Letter by letter her shaky finger typed a short but reassuring message. Mayumi had nearly completed the message when the distinctive rolling of makeup made her aware she was no longer alone in the room. Something had kicked it in on its way to her. She wondered if this uncontrollable fear is what Zoe had felt as she plummeted into the water. Was she being punished for having suffered such a fate onto someone else?

A cold, firm grip placed itself on her wrist, causing her to drop the phone. Instinctively, she tried to reach down for it with her other hand, but that hand was caught too. Mayumi stared at the backlit screen of her phone, which seemed to taunt her. Her message fully composed, only needing to be sent. In its pale, upwards glow, Mayumi could see the featureless face of the shadow. It had a human shape, but no face to speak of. Its hands had no fingers. It pinned Mayumi's arms to the wall and bore into her chest, as the other shadow had done to Maxfield. A tortuous, burning sensation ripped across her sternum as the shadow violently ensconced itself into her being. Before long, the shadow's entirety had disappeared into her. Mayumi was freed from its forceful grasp at last, but it was not the relief she had anticipated, for she now realized it had been the only thing sustaining her. A great weakness fell over her, and her legs buckled once more, though this time she was sure she would die from the pain before her knees even touched the floor.

Mayumi collapsed onto her stomach, too incapacitated to even move her limbs and reach out to grab the phone in front of her. It stared up at her, mockingly. Her unsent message was the only thing she could see until the phone's backlight went out, leaving darkness to swallow up the entire room. As she faded out of consciousness, the image of her written words became etched in her mind, as clear as a fluorescent display burnt into her retinas.

Naru, something's happened. I won't be home. I love you.


End file.
